Midnight Eye
Tom Mes stood in the audience of the Rotterdam Film Festival during 2000. He watched a retrospective of then-recent Japanese films unfold on screen. The experience sparked an idea that would become Midnight Eye. Tom Mes conceived the website after this specific viewing event. He launched the platform in spring 2001 alongside his brother Martin Mes and editor Jasper Sharp. This trio formed the core team behind the project from its very beginning.
In 2004, Tom Mes and Sharp published The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film. This book included over one hundred reviews of Japanese cinema. A foreword by Hideo Nakata appeared within its pages. The website itself grew to publish articles by numerous contributors over time. They conducted interviews with filmmakers such as Takashi Miike and Hayao Miyazaki. Satoshi Kon and Yuki Tanada also appeared among those interviewed guests.
On the 29th of June 2015, Sharp and the Mes brothers made a public announcement. They stated that no further content would be added to the site. The group declared they were calling it a day after fifteen years of operation. Their statement noted the site remained where it was for the time being. It served as the main source of information on Japanese cinema in the English language during that period.
Midnight Eye gained recognition through citations by major publications including Bustle and Vice. The Criterion Collection referenced the work of the editors. Forbes and DVD Talk also mentioned the platform in their own coverage. These references established the site's standing within broader media circles. The attention came from diverse outlets ranging from trade press to cultural institutions.
The website remains preserved online as a static archive despite its closure to future updates. No new reviews or interviews appear on the pages today. The content exists exactly as it did when the editors stopped adding material. Visitors can still read the original articles from the early 2000s. The digital footprint stays intact without any modifications since 2015.
Common questions
Who founded Midnight Eye and when was it launched?
Tom Mes conceived the website after watching a retrospective at the Rotterdam Film Festival in 2000. He launched the platform in spring 2001 alongside his brother Martin Mes and editor Jasper Sharp.
What books did Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp publish about Japanese cinema?
In 2004, Tom Mes and Sharp published The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film. This book included over one hundred reviews of Japanese cinema with a foreword by Hideo Nakata.
When did Midnight Eye stop publishing new content?
On the 29th of June 2015, Sharp and the Mes brothers made a public announcement stating that no further content would be added to the site. They declared they were calling it a day after fifteen years of operation.
Which filmmakers did Midnight Eye interview during its run?
They conducted interviews with filmmakers such as Takashi Miike and Hayao Miyazaki. Satoshi Kon and Yuki Tanada also appeared among those interviewed guests.
How did major publications recognize Midnight Eye before it closed?
Midnight Eye gained recognition through citations by major publications including Bustle and Vice. The Criterion Collection referenced the work of the editors while Forbes and DVD Talk mentioned the platform in their own coverage.